About Rodrigo Cunha

Rodrigo Cunha’s simple full-figure portraits in nondescript interiors belie complex narratives. Though the figures are often depicted standing or sitting motionlessly, Cunha assures us: “Actually, there is action. But an inner action, sometimes extrapolated by small gestures—a short step, raising a hand, a sip of coffee, one twitch of a finger.” The people that occupy these canvases are idealized versions of individuals that the artist encounters in real life—Cunha confesses to being attracted to special characteristics, like coloring and bone and muscle structure. His paintings carry off-kilter optical perspectives, which somehow situate the viewer as looking at the subjects both head-on and from above.